Lil' Red Riding Hood | Derek Hale

11: Far Longer Than Forever

"Okay, can I ask you how you feel when he's around? Other than scared and intimidated."

"Uh, my nervous ramble is worse." Paige admits to her, "I also... I don't know. It's a feeling I can describe."

"Like you're drawn to him?"

Paige snapped her fingers together and pointed at her aunt, "Kind of. But I think that's just because he's really attractive."

Maggie cleared her throat and adjusted herself with a smile before teasing, "You keep using the word attractive. Is that code that this guy is like smoking hot? Because I am going to be a really proud aunt if the guy you're crushing on is smoking hot."

"I-" Paige felt her cheeks warm up as her aunt continued to tease her, "I shouldn't have talked to you about it."

"Awe, no. Keep talking. I want to hear more about it." Maggie reached for her to stop Paige from trying to leave the couch, wrapping her arms around her in a small hug, "I like that you've got a crush. It's really cute and means you're... you're growing and changing. You're going to be different soon. I'm happy."

"You make it sound like I'm going off to get married." She swatted at her aunt's hands so she'd release her but eventually gave up, sinking into her aunt's arm, "I'm not going to change cause of some guy. Besides, this is probably just a hormone thing cause he's... hot."

"Okay, okay." Maggie kissed the top of her head, "Just tell me his name."

"Really?"

"Yes, then I'll let you go and you can go to sleep."

Paige released a long sigh before mumbling, "Derek."

"Oh!" Maggie gasps and releases her with a smile, "Like Prince Derek from Swan Princess. You were so obsessed with that movie! Of course you'd be crushing on a boy with the same name."

"I'm going to bed now."

Maggie laughed as Paige rushed away from her. She fell back on the couch with a smile on her face as she listened to Maggie's feet thudding on the ground, meaning she was irritated. Paige was usually light on her feet but only stomped when she was upset.

Her smile slowly dropped the second she heard Paige's door closed. Her eyes fell back on the T.V. and she instantly turned it off. Maggie let out a long sigh and looked up at the roof. "I don't think I can do this... Phoebe... I need you here. I can't do this without you."

Paige dropped down on her bed hearing something fall over on her nightstand. She gasped in shock and quickly picked up the framed picture. She picked it up from the ground and stared at the photo of her parents. She trailed her finger along it with a sad smile. Sometimes she wondered what they were like. How they met? How they fell in love? Everything. She wished that she could know.

"You rejected him again?"

Phoebe laughed as her sister Margaret pestered her. She had just started her second year of college while Margaret started her first year of high school. "A cute face is not going to get my attention."

"But you said he was really cute. So why not?"

"Because I need more than looks." Phoebe states while placing her feet on the coffee table and reading her textbook, "I want to know that he would be all in because I'm not playing around. I don't need mom and dad all over again in my relationship."

"Not every married couple gets a divorce, Phoebe..."

Phoebe cocked an eyebrow over to her sister, "Seriously? The divorce rate in married couples is ridiculous. I want love, Maggie. Love. I want to know that we'll grow old together loving each other with a family. Not a split down the line. I would never do that to my kids."